Knobs are commonly used on a variety of commercial and residential appliances to control an operating condition of the appliance. Knobs are particularly common on cooking appliances, such as stoves or cooktops. Various shapes and sizes can be used depending upon e.g., the intended application, aesthetics, and other factors.
As an example, cooking appliances that include a cooktop traditionally have at least one heating element positioned on a panel proximate a cooktop surface for use in heating or cooking an object, such as a cooking utensil, and its contents. The heating element can operate to heat a cooking utensil directly through induction heating, or may use another heat source such as electrically resistant coils or gas burners. Generally, a control knob may be fixed through a panel of the cooking appliance to engage a controller behind the panel, or otherwise within the cooking appliance.
Certain challenges exist with this construction, however. For instance, this construction typically requires one or more holes to be defined through the panel in order for the control knob to engage the controller. In turn, it is possible that solid or liquid food items may fall through the holes, potentially leading to damage of the controller or other internal components. Furthermore, these holes may make it difficult to clean the appliance, especially within the area beneath the panel.
Concerns may also arise with a knob assembly that is fixed to the cooking appliance. As an example, inadvertently striking the knob may cause a portion of the cooking appliance to break. As another example, the heating element may be accidentally activated, such as by a careless bystander or small child. Thus, in certain situations, it may be preferable to remove the control knob and/or prevent the heating element from being activated.
Accordingly, an improved control knob assembly would be beneficial. In particular, it may be advantageous to provide a control knob assembly that does not require a hole through a surface of an appliance (i.e., the surface on which a control knob is supported). Moreover, it may be advantageous to provide a control knob that can be easily removed from and remounted to an appliance without causing damage thereto.